


The Elephant

by ziamxo



Series: The Elephant [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, more fluff bc thats all im good for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2257386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziamxo/pseuds/ziamxo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam gives Zayn an elephant. And somewhere along the lines, a promise is made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Elephant

**Author's Note:**

> I.. was having doubts and wasn't planning to post this anytime soon. Yet. Here it is. Many thanks to [Ducky](http://stylesandapumpkin.tumblr.com) for Beta'ing this for me and for being absolutely lovely for if it wasn't for her, this probably wouldn't have gotten posted!  
> Also! This was inspired by this [anon ask ](http://ziamthekings.tumblr.com/post/95602426640/but-liam-casually-left-the-elephant-next-to-zayn-and)I got sent not too long ago. :)

“I, uh.” Zayn removes the cellular device from his shoulder and ear as he clears his throat only to return the phone back to his ear. “I miss you too, Baba. Say hi to the girls and mum for me, yeah?”

“Of course.” His father responds, a small pause sounding before Zayn’s father’s voice is sounding from the speaker for his cell, “Miss you too, Beta. Be good, see you in a few.”

“See you.” Zayn responds past the knot he can feel tightly his throat, “Love you.”

“I love you too, Zayn. Be safe, yeah?”

Zayn clears his throat with the annoying moisture in his eyes watering his eyes and he sort of just needs to end this conversation before it goes south and he’s left his father worrying over the damned homesickness he’s (not recently) acquired, “Yeah, Baba. Okay, okay, yeah. Love you, bye.”

He suddenly feels too vulnerable in the large, empty hotel room and he wants out. Sending Paul a quick message asking him to have the tour bus opened, Zayn grabs the pack of cigarettes by his night stand before he’s leaving the room in a haste.

The drag isn’t as satisfying as he wishes it was, but it’s easing his nerves and that’s all he could really hope for, given the sudden hollowness in his heart that he knows is meant to be filled with his family's presence.

And if he wets his pillow just a smidge that night after he’s sprawled out against the warm bed, no one can prove it, for he lays his head on said pillow and lets the early am’s take him to a place of serendipity where he’s picking up Waliyha and Safaa from school, even visiting Donyia at her work, dropping off lunch via their mum, or simply helping out his father on the renovations of their old home. It’s all in the idea of ‘What if One Direction hadn’t happened for me’ that Zayn faces every now and again. 

~  
When Zayn awakens the following morning, he realizes that the day has already gone to shit.

It’s just one of those days where he doesn’t want to get out of the comfort of his bed, nor deal with anyone or anything that might come his way for one simple day.

But of course, that’s out of the question. He and the lads have a show tonight and he’s not exactly keen on keeping up with the dates and cities, but Texas is one of those states he can’t just not remember he’s in. It’s, well, Texas.

He can’t help but groan as he tosses in his small bunk, his feet kicking at the walls by accident causing a thud to sound in the room. Zayn muffles and buries his head in the pillow, hoping, praying, he can sleep for just a little bit longer. 

But the world seems to be against his favor.

“Mate,” he hears a mumble, which immediately startles him in the process. “that is not the way to treat the furniture that has provided for you for the night.” 

And Zayn almost snorts, almost. But he catches himself before he can, remembering that he’s in a shit mood. “Be quiet, Leeyum.” he mutters back, the sounds of another thud sounding before his curtain is being pulled up, his back to Liam giving him the advantage of opening his tired eyes for a second before shutting them, pretending to be very much asleep. 

“You okay, mate?” Liam questions, his presence looming over Zayn and Zayn would just very much like to tell him to leave just as much as he would like for him to stay and cuddle with him for a second but. 

Liam’s phone rings and he can just imagine Liam looking at the phone in question before bringing the phone to his ear with a smile on his face, because that’s usually how it goes with Liam. “Hey, babe, what’s up?”

And ahh, yes. There’s that but.

Zayn zones out of the conversation and instead forces himself out of the bunk and past Liam to the bathroom; he doesn’t need more shit to pile on to further worsen his mood.

He doesn’t.

~

His mood remains rank throughout the day and unfortunately that’s something that doesn’t go unnoticed by a particular band member of his. 

Zayn’s realizing that throughout the majority of their rehearsal for the show, he’s been receiving looks of pouty lips and furrowed eyebrows questioning (or analyzing) Zayn’s reason of being.

Those looks manage to turn into a forced smile when Liam notices Zayn’s caught him staring more than usual (which is already a lot as is), and Zayn, tries to ease the burden off of Liam’s shoulders, because that’s kind of what Liam does when things have gone to shit in his own life. So he offers Liam a smile, but it clearly doesn’t reach his eyes, only proving as such when Liam returns a small frown that pulls at all of the wrong heart strings.  
~  
The show, well, it’s amazing really. It’s another sold out show and the stadium? Fuck, it’s massive times four.

His runs are going well, no malfunctions this time around with the sound and it’s nice, yeah. It’s nice.

But Zayn still can’t fight off the demons glooming over his mood. Throughout each song, he finds himself missing his sisters smiles, or missing his mum’s home-cooked meals, or watching footy with his dad on Saturday nights just like this one under a different atmosphere. 

He’s mid-thought, sitting in the far-back of the middle of the stage, somewhat slumped and it’s probably the missing smile that has a familiar presence in his face not too soon. Niall and Louis are having their turn, speaking out to the crowd and Liam’s got this _thing_ he picked up off the stage not too long ago. 

Zayn can’t look down at it yet given he’s caught in a trance looking up at Liam and the way his lips are moving to create words, ignoring the sounds of the cheers the crowd is giving.

“Look what I found.” Liam begins, wriggling the stuffed toy in his hand. “‘s an elephant.” Liam continues with a small smile. 

Zayn smiles endearingly at it as he takes out an in-ear, because, really. Even if he’s in a rank mood and he doesn’t want to smile, he can’t help it when it comes to Liam. But Zayn just. He wants to have a proper strop, to be honest. He wants to be a kid again and be with his family and-- 

Liam sets the stuffed toy at his side, Zayn feeling the barely there weight of the object before Liam’s attempting to grasp his attention once more.

It doesn’t take much from Liam. 

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill? 

Zayn rubs his nose with the back of his hand, head tilted up towards Liam and he just shrugs. “‘m fine.” he speaks casually, 

“You having one of your proper moods, Mr. Malik?” Liam asks, and this time he’s got both hands on his waist, eyebrows raised in question.

Zayn exhales out a breath to hide the small laughter built off from that but he just shakes his head, looking off to the floor. 

He can’t decipher the following words that Liam says and before he can lift his head to ask Liam to repeat himself, he’s walking away and Zayn has to do nothing but keep the neutral expression in place despite his want to frown. 

Niall and Louis continue on with their speech and Zayn’s staring out into the crowd. Thoughts upon thoughts fill his mind and he has to fight against them because they’ll turn negative-- they have that tendency when he’s being so pessimistic about shit. 

He waves off to the crowd, pulls off a few smiles (albeit, he’s lying to himself. He knows they’ll know it’s fake), and simply sits there in awe for a moment because.

What are the chances he’ll ever do something like this ever again?

Sit right there, in that same spot, looking over this exact crowd?

Bringing his thumb to his lips, he finds himself looking around himself before his eyes fall upon the stuffed elephant toy. Zayn eyes it for a second before putting a hand around it in contemplation. _Look what I found._ Liam’s voice repeats in his mind. “It’s mine, now.” Zayn says more to himself than anything with a soft smile as he brings the toy into his lap before his eyes are out searching for Liam to rub that simple fact in his face.

Liam’s back is turned to Zayn as Liam has a quick chat with Dan, but that doesn’t stop him from turning his head every now and again hoping that Liam will feel Zayn’s eyes on him and eventually turn around to at least send him a reassuring smile. 

It doesn’t come and Zayn’s back to frowning to himself before setting the toy off to the side, the idea of falling under the comforters sounds so good in that moment (ignoring the fact that they’re in Texas at the moment in August), but he knows that that’s not possible quite yet. There’s a few more songs to perform before the end of the show.

So Zayn sucks in a breath and simply deals with it in the best way that he can. 

Ignoring the problem until it goes away.

~

Except it doesn’t go away and Liam, out of the four, seems to realize as such. He’s left the stuffed toy where he had initially gotten it but he can see it from across the stage. He’s going to need to ask someone to get that for him after he’s gone off the stage. 

Liam, though, is.. is so fucking special. Like, he’s pulling off all these goofy faces, all high-energy and happy and Zayn. Well. Zayn cracks a smile here and there, forgetting for a brief moment why he was initially acting like a miserable twat.  
Niall’s great, too, yeah. Niall’s always all laughs, radiating sunshine and Harry’s off doing pirouettes. Zayn’s gotta give it to him, he’s getting pretty ace at it. Lou, of course, his partner in crime, tries here and there but all it takes is a couple moments when Zayn unintentionally shrugs him off to sing his part of a song that Louis simply resigns himself for the time being. 

Liam, though.

Liam never gives up, is the thing.

He fights so hard for the things he wants, doesn’t take no for an answer when it’s something important to him, and. Well, it looks like getting Zayn’s mood to brighten up just so happened to be Liam’s mission for the rest of the night. 

Except they’re on their final song when Liam comes over to him, whispering in his ear about something Zayn got 25% of due to his in-ears, but Liam has this.. expression where his eyes are crinkled up and his smile is set wide and he’s letting out this wonderful giggle that Zayn kind of just gives up his charade and returns the laugh back before reaching out to tap Liam’s tummy, almost as a thank you. 

Liam seems to understand. 

~

The elephant becomes a prisoner in Zayn’s arms that night as he sleeps. 

And if Liam catches him doing as such when he’s pulled up the curtain of the tour bus to speak to Zayn about this hilarious tweet he’d just read, well, Liam never mentions it.

~

Niall does, two nights before their break in between Illinois and California. And then Harry, and then Louis. 

But never Liam.

And the night of Liam’s birthday when Zayn goes over to Liam to hand him his present, Liam is _beaming._

And Zayn? Zayn just feels so fucking warm inside because of it, because of Liam. Because he, Zayn Malik, managed to elicit that expression from Liam Payne. 

It’s wonderful. 

As Liam opens his gift, Liam looks at the present inside the once quite ace wrapping (thanks to Caroline), Liam reaches for the gift before turning to Zayn.

“You _cheated_.” Liam tries to pout but he can’t, he hasn’t all day, and Liam’s been going off about how _this birthday has been the best ever, guys!!! I never thought I’d ever get an experience like that in my life before, you know? Like-- god, noooo. I don’t wanna cry, I’m just. This is everything-- greatest birthday of my life._ and Zayn has long settled how endeared and enamored he is to this now twenty-one year old who so happens to be his best mate.

“I did not!” Zayn responds and before he has a chance to say furthermore, Liam’s butting in.

“But you did! You can’t give me something I gave to you.” He argues, lifting the grey elephant into view before pushing it towards Zayn. “It’s yours, Zayn.”

“Liam.” Zayn laughs, pushing it back towards him. “It’s yours now, Liam.”

“No!” Liam exclaims, pushing it towards Zayn once again.

“If you don’t take it, I’ll burn it.” Louis mutters as he enters Liam’s room, handing him a small box before excusing himself given ‘You two are so fucking gross.’ 

“Liam.” Zayn tries once Louis is out of sight with the door shut once again watching Liam set Louis' present to the side.

“Zayn.” It’s now Liam who laughs fondly, “It’s yours, yeah. That way you’ll never forget about me.” 

Zayn furrows his eyebrows in question. “Are you planning on going somewhere?” 

“No.” Liam grins, shaking his head. “But it’s nice to have something of someone you care about to remind you of them here and there, you know? Really. Keep it.” 

“Am I allowed to keep you, too? Y’know, like a buy one, get one free kind of deal?” Zayn teases, Liam’s eyes crinkling at the words. 

“Maybe. Maybe. You’ve gotta stick around to see for yourself, Zayn.”

“I’ll stick around.” Zayn responds without a second thought. “Always, yeah?” 

“Of course. Always.” Is Liam’s response and they may not be more than what Zayn wishes they _could be_ in some completely alternate universe. 

But he’ll take this. 

“Always.” Zayn starts off, grinning idiotically at Liam before letting out an exasperated breath, bringing in Liam for a tight searing hug, the elephant near Liam’s face given one of Zayn’s arms is around Liam’s shoulder. “Happy Birthday, Leeyum.” Zayn mumbles quietly. “Love you, man.” he says, simply pushing away any added emotions to the words having been said. Better a best mate than nothing at all. 

Zayn can literally feel the smile pressed up against his skin before Liam’s pressing a simple kiss to Zayn’s inked collarbone. “Love you, too.”

And if Zayn’s heart squeezes at the three words, he plays it off. 

Because he’s now got a piece of Liam, and for now?

That’s more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> There may or may not be a part two in the works. I've no clue whatsoever. ;)  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
